


An Ineffable Yearning Of You

by XtaticPearl



Series: Wait for the yes [1]
Category: Avengers Assemble (Cartoon)
Genre: Breaking Up & Making Up, Developing Relationship, Idiots in Love, M/M, Tony Stark Has Issues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-28
Updated: 2018-02-28
Packaged: 2019-03-25 00:42:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,360
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13822875
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/XtaticPearl/pseuds/XtaticPearl
Summary: It didn't become a problem till he realized that he had gotten Steve attached. That was dangerous. Tony getting attached was expected but this was unexpected and Tony didn't have a contingency plan for it.





	An Ineffable Yearning Of You

**Author's Note:**

> My chosen letter is Y and the word for that is Yearning. I hope you guys enjoy this!

There were days when a win would satisfy Tony and then there were days when all it would do was remind him of how much he could have lost. How much he had  _ failed _ to note, to do, to be. 

"You've got to be kidding me," Sam repeated for the third time since he had followed Tony into his lab, still the prodigy Tony had befriended and chosen for the team, still trusting Tony, "Tony, they're your team. We just won. Why would you let this go  _ now _ ?"

Tony was thankful that he had his back to Sam, allowing him the respite of smoothing away the real lingering pain of the shocked resuscitation and phantom ache of losing the team again. 

"We assembled for a reason, Sam," he explained, a flimsy lie but the only tether to the mask Tony wanted to cling to right now, "The mission is over. There's no need for us right now. No need for them to be stuck here."

"And by  _ here _ you mean  _ with you _ , right?" a new voice resounded and Tony carefully resisted freezing as he realized that Steve had walked in, probably after having talked to Thor and Hulk into calming down. Of all the Avengers he wanted to avoid right now, Steve was highest on the list. Nobody read him clearer than the soldier, a fact that was painful now that they had broken up. That  _ Tony _ had made sure they had broken up. 

It had been a surprise at first, being asked out by Captain America. The team had worked well for a couple of weeks and Tony had managed to not send any of them down death's trap with his fumbling leadership skills when Steve had casually asked him out for lunch. Tony was self-aware, particularly so about his relationship history and skills, and had tried to brush it off but Steve had an endearing earnestness to him that could sway anyone. Nobody had thought it to be a good idea but Tony had agreed if nothing than to show Steve some tricks to help him find a better partner after he came to his senses about Tony.

They had gone out for lunch, then dinner, and then some stolen moments of quick rendezvous between their duties. Tony had been fine with it, feeling a warm glow in his gut whenever he found Steve looking at him with fondness instead of the expected annoyance. It was soft and sweet, words Tony had never attached to himself or any relationship he participated in, but he had been content.

It didn't become a problem till he realized that he had gotten Steve attached. That was dangerous. Tony getting attached was expected but this was unexpected and Tony didn't have a contingency plan for it. He had never expected for Steve to get committed to the most renowned basketcase of bad relationships, and it terrified him when he saw the others noting it too. When Natasha eyed Tony knowingly whenever Steve would talk about him, he knew that she was judging him and also knew that the judgment was well-deserved. For all that he was good at fighting and creating tech, Tony wasn't someone who would know to protect Steve from Tony's issues. Not if Steve stayed.

So he had ended it, pushing Steve away and the team along with him, knowing in his head that it was the right thing to do even if his heart yearned for denial. 

The look on Steve's face as Tony had almost died during their latest reunion hinted that Tony hadn't been completely successful in alienating the Captain. 

"I have to do this on my own, Cap,” he replied without turning but heard the footsteps as they came closer.

“No, we’re not doing this thing where you avoid me and the problem, and later try to die in an attempt to hold things together,” Steve laid a hand on Tony’s shoulder and in his peripheral Tony could see Sam getting the hint to leave them alone, “Tony, look at me.”

Tony turned and caught Steve’s gaze, finding stubbornness warring with concern there.

“We’re a team, Tony,” Steve said, quiet and firm even as his hand grounded Tony, “That means that we have each other’s back and fight together. We stand by each other.”

“I’m not good at doing this, Steve,” Tony sighed, face pinching as he eyed the holoscreen in front of him, “Look at what happened the last time I played in the team. I almost got everyone killed. I almost got  _ you _ killed because - I -”

“Because you weren’t ready,” Steve commented and Tony swallowed hard, knowing that they were talking about things other than just the team too, “I know. I know that, Tony.”

“Then you know better than to think that this would work,” Tony said bitterly but Steve’s hand tightened on his shoulder before relaxing.

“The only person who thinks so is you,” Steve said on the tail of a sad chuckle, “I won’t force you into anything but you can’t always be alone. You’re not going to protect anyone by doing that.”

“Steve, I -,” Tony hesitated, a million yearnings swelling in his throat as words failed him.

A loud explosion rattled them and both of them looked towards the entrance.

“Jarvis, what’s happening?” Tony looked at the screen, bringing up the security feed of the mansion.

“It appears that the Avengers are fighting each other, sir,” the AI informed them and Tony caught glance of Thor and Hulk trading blows while Clint and Natasha targeted each other.

“Cap, we need to contain them from blowing apart the place,” Tony said and Steve was already moving.

“I’ll get on that and you figure out what’s going on,” Steve pointed at him, “You wanted to do things alone? Here’s your chance to try it.”

Tony didn’t watch Steve leave but knew that there was more left unsaid in those words.

When he finally caught on to the cause of the sudden turn of events, Tony felt frustration bleed into him. MODOK had already tried to tear them apart by nearly killing both Steve and Tony but this was starting to get repetitive. 

“Jarvis, get me the weak spots,” he commanded as he tried to find a way to remove the mind-controlling microbots from his teammates.

As Jarvis worked, Tony caught on to the arguments coming from the team and his focus landed on one in particular.

“ _ Go back to your day job kid, you don’t deserve this _ ”

“ _ Says the guy who’s responsible for Tony getting hurt _ ”

Tony didn’t have time to analyse how  _ that _ was the sore spot Sam had detected in Steve but filed it away for the future. It took him a few tries to find a solution and target the team with precision to knock the microbots off. 

Watching Hulk smash MODOK was quite satisfying, to say the least. 

They had a second of reprieve before Tony detected Skull and they were off to stop him.

“Worked things out?” Steve asked when Tony knocked Skull out first and Tony was glad for the mask when he grinned slightly.

“Not really,” he replied, speaking in double meanings, “all I had was that repulsor shot. But now that you’re here…”

“You lead,” Steve smiled softly, eyeing him knowingly, “I’ll follow.”

It was laughable to think about how the idea could go south but Tony knew a second chance when he was offered it. Commanding the team to target Skull strategically felt like puzzle pieces falling into place, natural and fitting.

“Careful,” Steve commented with a teasing tone, “you keep leading like that and we might stay together.”

Tony lifted his faceplate and returned Steve’s smirk with a smile of his own, getting the clue he had been missing.

The mansion was in rubble, their villain had escaped, and the press would have a field-day with the display they had just caught. It should have felt like a loss.

Somehow, Tony knew that it was going to be a good idea, even if it was their second beginning.

“Let’s talk,” he said and caught Steve’s eye with hope rather than yearning. 

  
  
  



End file.
